MIAMI – A 67-year-old woman described as a longtime fraudster, once accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a cancer patient, has been arrested in connection with a $105,000 investment scam that police say targeted a Miami barbershop owner more than two years ago.
Police said the barbershop owner reported he, too, was a victim, after seeing Ana Maria Nunez on the news. She has a history of fraud in South Florida, including prior convictions on charges of organized fraud and grand theft. Police said she has a history of threatening her victims.
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According to an arrest report from the Miami Police Department, Nunez, of southwest Miami-Dade, is now facing one count each of first-degree grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud.
Miami police said the scheme began on April 1, 2022, when the victim was introduced to Nunez by an employee at KukyEstilo Barbershop, located at 3528 NW 17th Ave., in the city’s Allapattah neighborhood.
The report stated Nunez proposed an investment opportunity involving the sale of satellites to China. She assured the victim that a $50,000 investment would yield a $100,000 profit, which convinced the victim to agree to the investment.
On April 11, 2022, a contractual investment agreement was created between the victim and ATP Expediter and Investment, a company purportedly associated with Nunez, according to investigators.
The agreement stated that after seven days, ATP Expediter and Investment would return the investment plus 100% profit. If a delay of more than two weeks occurred, the company would add 5% of the original investment. That same day, the victim wire-transferred $50,000 to Nunez’s Bank of America account, according to the report.
Police said four days later, on April 15, 2022, a second agreement was made for another $50,000 investment, promising a $200,000 profit. The victim again transferred $50,000 to Nunez’s account, authorities said.
Detectives said Nunez contacted the victim on May 16, 2022, claiming that an additional $5,000 payment was needed to finalize the investment. The victim then wrote a check for $5,000 to Nunez, they said.
Despite the agreements, police said the victim did not receive any returns and all communication with Nunez ceased. By May 20, 2022, the due date of the initial investment, it became apparent that the promises were fraudulent, according to the report.
Police said the victim reported a total financial loss of $105,000.
A subsequent investigation revealed that ATP Expediter and Investment did not exist, according to investigators.
Bank records confirmed the transfers to Nunez’s account, including the initial $50,000 on April 11, 2022, another $50,000 on April 15, 2022, and the $5,000 check deposit on May 16, 2022, the report stated.
Nunez’s arrest report states she was taken into custody Wednesday by the MPD’s Felony Apprehension Team.
Police said Nunez waived her Miranda rights but refused to speak about the case with detectives.
As of Thursday, Nunez is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where her bond has not yet been determined.